Mr Jones

For those asking, here's more info - you are going to love this.

Firstly, the microphone and pre-amp. I got mine off ebay from the UK and it didn’t take long to arrive but there might be closer sources for something similar.
This is what I got:

You really just need a stereo microphone and a pre amp to bring the signal level up high enough to get the right volume.
UPDATED Jan 2023 - once you have a stereo mic you just need a pre-amp like this.

You then just need to plug the lead into your AUX audio input. Wherever you can plug the 3.5mm stereo plug. My car is an Australian facelift model so I don’t know if your connectivity is the same. I bought this AUX audio input cable from Mercedes Benz part no. A0038270304 which plugs into my centre console.


Your input may be different. I then used a 1m 3.5mm stereo extension lead to get the length. Once it’s plugged in I had to select BOOST in the AUX audio level option for it to be loud enough.

Regarding starting the car. I usually turn the ignition to position 1 (accessories) and wait for the stereo to start working, select AUX, turn it up and then start the car so you get to hear that cold start etc. You’ll find that each time you come back to the car, you need to turn it up again. For some reason it defaults back to quieter.

Give it a go driving. You may find there is a bit of wind noise. I put my mic inside a small felt earring pouch and it eliminates the wind. When I’m not using it, I leave the mic all connected in the trunk and then just pop it out and stick it back on when I want to use it.

ZephyrAMG

Thank you providing detail in the parts! I will be doing this for fun this summer!